I will preface this with the fact that I am not inside the program.
Last year, around this time, LITTYVILLE and ILLGANG was in full swing and players that had never considered Illinois were starting to take notice. That led to a lot of excitement and buzz, but few additional big name signees. This year, the staff is in better position to capitalize on the excitement and they have created a stronger narrative with the recruits. They also have the support of some big time commits from big time programs that are pushing for Illinois. From what I hear, this seems to be snowballing. Some big names have popped and some others are really close to popping. And the current commits are really supporting their younger former high school teammates and friends to join them. This class also doesn't have a strong opponents in any of the parents. I am hearing great things. This recruiting class, could be strong enough to warrant Lovie keeping his job, barring a healthy team that doesn't perform.
I am hearing that the culture has shifted inside the locker room and the team has more leadership and strength. We have several positions where the players believe that a backup could step in without losing much. The players are supporting one another to learn and understand positioning on the field. And, the buzz within the program is becoming palpable.